Doubts, Dreams, and Desserts
by FyoraHime
Summary: Serena is overflowing with nervous energy after a chance run-in with Palermo. When Ash finds her, the two of them have a chat. Amourshipping one-shot.
_Elation. Ecstasy. Excitement._

None of these words sufficed to express the sheer joy that flowed through Serena's body after Monsieur Pierre announced the results of the Showcase.

"Performer Serena!"

That was _her_ name. A majority of the Glowcaster lights had come to _her_ key. The fuchsia glow in the sky honored _her_ performance as the favorite among the crowd.

At the time, Serena doubted that she had ever felt so happy in her entire life.

However, a chance encounter after the event, after the celebration, had managed to knock her off of cloud nine. Even now, she still felt trapped beneath the thundercloud that had replaced it. She had performed to the best of her abilities, and she had earned the final key necessary to qualify for the Master Class. She had gotten off to a shaky start, but now her footsteps were headed straight along the path to her dream.

Apparently, "the best of the abilities" was insufficient in Palermo's eyes. Apparently, she lacked a special _something_ , and without knowing what she was missing, she would never be able to surpass Aria and achieve her dream of becoming Kalos Queen.

Serena knew that her performances were not perfect. She was fully aware that she and her Pokémon always had room to improve. They tried their best to think of innovative, exciting appeals to display on stage, but sometimes they had to tweak their initial plans to accommodate their skill sets. Brainstorming, designing, and choreographing new spectacles was no easy feat, and actually putting their schemes into action was even more difficult. Between the mental and physical strain, she and her party frequently found themselves running out of steam. She could never give up, though. The days of growing bored and quitting at the first sign of trouble were long past. This was her goal, her aim, her purpose, her dream.

"It's _our_ dream," Serena corrected herself, and she smiled softly. With her Pokémon by her side, she truly felt as if anything could be possible.

Palermo's straight-forward, stinging words had planted a seed of doubt in her mind, though. Just like any other seed, if she gave it the attention it wanted, then it would grow. If she fretted too much, it might have the chance to grow until it blocked out the sunlight, the light of hope.

 _Lacking. Slacking. Snacking._

This train of thought had brought Serena to her present state, whipping up multiple batches of sweets in the Pokémon Center's kitchen. While she and her friends were staying here for the night, she figured that she would take the opportunity to put some of her nervous energy to good use. She had already baked two trays full of Poke Puffs, and now she had transitioned to cupcakes so that the trainers could enjoy a sweet treat, too. Once she finished pouring the batter, she opened the oven door and eased the pan inside. With a quick flick of the fingers she set the timer, and Serena wiped her hands off on her apron before turning her attention back to her other baked goods.

With delicate precision, the Kalosian stuck a toothpick into one of the Puffs from her latest batch. "Perfect! It's cool enough to decorate," she hummed, and she sidestepped over to her decoration station, where icings, candies, and sprinkles littered the countertop. "Where did I put the green icing?" she murmured, peering around curiously. She was normally much more organized in the kitchen, but she was focused on so many different issues right now that she had gotten a little… scatterbrained.

"I knew my nose wasn't lying!"

Serena's head jerked upward at the sound of a very familiar, very welcome voice.  
"Ash! It's five in the morning. Why are you awake?"

"Serena, it's five in the morning! Why are you baking?" he retorted, rubbing weariness out of his eyes. His tone was kind and jocular, but his expression did reveal his genuine concern.

"Oh, you know… I'm just…" Should she try to pass it off as post-Showcase excitement, or should she reveal her inner insecurities? She hadn't spoken a word to anyone about her incident with Palermo, and she wasn't sure if she even should. If she were unable to overcome this obstacle and solve this mystery on her own, would she even be worthy of the title of Queen? "I have a lot of energy."

"Well, I already know that!" Ash told her with a laugh, and he walked towards her to take a closer look at her creations. "Why now, though? Still excited that you got your third Princess Key? I know I'm always fit to burst after I get a new badge, just awaiting my next challenge…" He trailed off dreamily, perhaps trailing off into a sea of memories. Instead of growing dim as if he were zoning out, though, his eyes just seemed to reflect stronger determination.

"Something like that," Serena said, and she mustered a somewhat-agonized laugh. Ash leaned forward curiously, propping his elbows up on the counter. "I can hardly believe that I've qualified for the Master Class, never mind the fact that it's so soon."

Ash took a deep whiff of her first batch of finished Poke Puffs, and then he rested his chin on his palms. "Well, I'm going to feel kind of bad about eating these," he confessed, although the chuckle that followed suggested that he didn't seem too remorseful. "I mean, if you made them because you're nervous, I'll feel bad. We all get to benefit from the most delicious snacks ever because you had too many nerves to sit still and sleep."

Hopefully, Ash was still too groggy to notice the blush spreading across his friend's face. "Th-that's not the only reason!" she assured him quickly, waving her hands rapidly in denial. "O-of course I wanted to let some of this energy out, but there are so many ways that I could have done that. I could have gone for a walk, run some errands for Nurse Joy, or helped Clemont make a new invention." She rattled off a list of activities, hardly realizing how bizarre they all sounded. "Although I probably would not be much help for that last one. You know… I think that's why I'm baking." She turned back to her workplace, looking over the scattered disarray of decorations, as well as the assortment of Poke Puffs. "I wanted to use up this energy, but I didn't want to just waste it. I wanted to help everyone in some way. I…"

Her encounter with Palermo played in her head once more; this time, however, she did not focus on the older woman's words. Instead, she recalled her own.

"I like it when we all have fun. Even if my work isn't perfect, or completely satisfactory, it's vital to me that we all have fun." She paused for a moment and reached up to grip the strings on her pajama hoodie. Holding onto something would help her stabilize her thoughts, her breathing, and her heartbeat. Maybe she could even get rid of the pink flush on her face. "Even if these aren't the best Poke Puffs ever, as long as we all enjoy them, then that's important too!"

Even without complete context, Ash realized that Serena had far more on her mind than a tray or two of treats. A real problem was weighing heavily on her, but she clearly had no desire to mention it directly. Why pester her, then? Why force her to dredge it up? "I completely agree!" he told her with a wide grin. "I have so much fun spending time with you, Clemont, Bonnie, and all of our Pokémon." He lifted his arms off of the table and stood up straight to face her. "Of course, it's important to keep improving, too. Nothing is more frustrating than being stuck in a rut after working diligently for a long time, and nothing is more satisfying than breaking down barriers to reach new heights!"

There was that word again. Satisfaction. _Was_ she satisfied with her performances? "You're right," she murmured wistfully, twirling a spoon between her fingers. Should she ask him for advice? Would it be a sign of defeat to pick his brain? "What do you do when you're stuck in a rut, Ash? It seems like you never stay stumped for long." She had no reason to feel guilty for asking a simple question. Friends were supposed to support each other, right?

His reaction caught her off guard, however. "Do I really seem like that? I'm questioning myself all the time!" He began to rub under his nose self-consciously, and he admitted, rather sheepishly, "I constantly wonder if we're doing our best. I know my Pokémon are always putting forth their greatest effort for me, but I never know if I'm maximizing on their potential." His voice seemed to grow tenser, as if his throat had tightened. "I know we can be the very best, like no one ever was! Since I'm the trainer, they rely on me to make the best calls, and I don't always know what they are."

Serena sat there with her mouth slightly agape, absolutely captivated by his speech. She hadn't realized that Ash was filled with similar anxieties about his capabilities as a trainer and making sure that everyone's talents, goals, and wishes were fulfilled. Appreciated. _Satisfied._ "I feel like that all of the time," she whispered, wearing a pained smile on her quivering lips. "You always look like you're improving. I thought…" She swallowed hard. "I thought that maybe something was wrong with me and how I approached situations."

Her change in demeanor seemed to put Ash in a panic. The raven-haired boy put a firm hand on her shoulder, and the sudden sensation made Serena lift her head with a jolt. When she first looked up, she found herself staring directly at his face. Completely overwhelmed, her body tried to send signals to her to pull away, but she couldn't tear herself from his reassuring touch or his fierce yet compassionate gaze. Instead, she just sat there as a flustered mess, begging her brain to start thinking again so she could speak.

"There's nothing wrong with you or your techniques!" he declared. "You worked incredibly hard for those three keys! You asked me how I always seem to keep moving forward, and that's because I just… keep moving forward. I never stop trying, never stop thinking about my next battle, and most importantly, I never stop dreaming." His tone was so passionate that it almost sounded aggressive, but then his eyes softened and his next words were very gentle. "My Pokémon can tell. They share my feelings, too. We're all one big team with a common goal. We're a family. And I know you and your team are the same way," he added.

A burning sensation began to sting Serena's eyes, and the tears that had been welling up inside of her ever since her encounter with Palermo were now beginning to surface. One by one, the salty tears began to trickle down the performer's red cheeks.

This sudden outpour of emotions startled the boy from Pallet Town, who used his free hands to start wiping Serena's tears away. "Come on, now," he murmured. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just… I wish you believed in yourself a little more." He smiled warmly at her. "Maybe you don't feel good enough, but that's totally normal! Every trainer feels that way. It'd be a bigger problem if you thought you _couldn't_ get any better!" He laughed softly, trying to lighten up the mood. Serena tried to muster a laugh, too, but her half-hearted chuckle just brought more tears. Could she trust his words? Was there any hope for her? "You and your Pokémon are getting so close to your dream. If anyone can do it, it's you guys. You know, your Pokémon love you a lot, Serena."

Serena sniffled and gave him a curious look. She didn't doubt the bond between herself and her team, but the words sounded weird coming from somebody else's mouth. "I love them a lot, too," she said, sniffling again. "I want them to be happy and healthy. Even if I'm not very skilled at anything else, I can make sure that they feel safe, beautiful, well-fed, and loved."

Ash moved his hand away from her face and onto her other shoulder, and he looked firmly into her eyes before beginning to speak. "Anyone who meets you can tell one thing right away." He paused to make sure that he had her full attention. "You are full of love. I've never met anyone with as much love in their heart as you."

Serena began to sputter and cough, and Ash lifted his hands off of her shoulders in a panic. "Are you okay? Don't choke on your tears! Oh no, I thought you stopped crying. Should I get Nurse Joy?!"

She thrust her hands out and waved them rapidly, trying to reassure him that she was fine. "Just a s-stray tear," she coughed. For once, she was actually thankful that she had been crying so much, because her swollen, puffy face would be able to hide the blush of embarrassment on her cheeks.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief, and he tried laughing again to ease the tension in the room; he seemed thrilled when Serena giggled as well, genuinely this time. "I mean it, you know," he told her, not wanting to let his point go unfinished. "If you don't believe me, do you believe Sylveon? Clemont said that a really deep, special bond has to be forged to evolve an Eevee into Sylveon. Normal people don't have that much love."

Serena shrugged awkwardly, and she began to twirl some of her golden locks. "I guess I can trust _Sylveon_ ," she teased.

Ash elbowed her lightly, and then he walked up to her confection counter. "You needed the green icing, right? I don't want to stop you from making these snacks, you know. Hey, maybe all of that love is what makes them taste so much better than anyone else's!"

Serena grinned and wiped the last of her tears from her face. "Thanks. I need those for these Poke Puffs and for half of my-" She gasped and whirled around to face the oven. "My cupcakes! I forgot about my cupcakes! Ash, I hope you're awake now, because I may need you to run and get the fire extinguisher!"

Full of love, huh? He had _no_ idea. _'One day he will,'_ Serena thought with a shy smile. _'First, Palermo will know, though, and all of Kalos will, too.'_


End file.
